Telecom
Scorecard: No plans to strip NCC of its powers – Pantami
Federal Government has no plans to strip the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of its powers, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, has said.
Pantami said this on Thursday in his presentation at the 19th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Scorecard for 2015 to 2023 in Abuja.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture.
Pantami said there was no iota of truth in insinuations that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was designed to take over the powers of NCC.
He said that both the NCC Act 2003 and NITDA Act 2007 were obsolete and long overdue for review due to imperatives of new technologies.
According to him, old Acts did not address the fourth industrial revolution and emerging technologies.
Pantami said: “We are talking about Fouth Generation (4G) Technology and Fifth Generation (5G) Technology today as well as digital economy.
“The NITDA Act was specifically on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, while the NCC Act dwell more on telecommunications.
“I had a meeting with the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC and the Director-General of NITDA and I directed them to work together.
“And there was an agreement that both Acts needed to be amended.”
The minister said that NITDA had over 30 stakeholders’ engagements were held, saying, “I am sure NCC was involved.
“It is unfair that someone will say because I was once a Director-General of NITDA and therefore tilted towards it.”
Pantami also said that he stood his ground for NIPOST over stamp duty issues and was threatened by the late Boko Haram leader.
He said that the threats came, when the government insisted on the implementation of Subscribers Identity Modules (SIM) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN) linkage.
“I protected NCC recently when an Agency took 42 billion belonging to it. The higher authority asked the Agency to return the money to the NCC.”Pantami said.
He said that what was being done regarding the amendments of the NITDA and NCC Acts were in the best interest of the country.
Pantami said based on assessment of independent consultants engaged by the Federal Government, the Ministry scorecard stood at “A” in all the eight priority areas assigned to it by Buhari.
According to him, broadband penetration as of November 2022 stood at 46. 2 per cent, as well as quarterly revenue generation from the ICT sector at N408 billion.
“Employment generation in the digital economy sector alone covered 2.2 million Nigerians within the last three years.
“The National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), was able to capture NIN of over 95 million citizens on its database within two years.
This, he said, increased compared to a figure of 39 million Nigerians captured by the same agency for 13 years.
Pantami further said that through the implementation of the e-governance policy of the present administration, over N47 billion had been saved for the government.
He also said that he inherited only one National Policy, but as at today, 19 National policies had been implemented by the ministry.
Pantami said 18 Nigerian universities were being provided free unlimited broadband access and 20 Nigerian markets were also benefitting from such gestures free of charge.
He said all the policies being implemented by this administration would be concluded before May 29 this year as President Buhari would also inaugurate the 12 billion naira National Centre for Digital Innovation in Abuja.
He said challenges in the telecommunications industry were as a result of deficit in infrastructures and vandalisation of fibre optic cables.
He said that in one particular year about 13,000 cases of vandalisation of fibre optic cables were recorded in different locations across the country.
Pantami said the president should be commended by Nigerians for the far reaching policies implemented by his administration to change the narratives of the digital economy space and improve the living standards of the people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NITDA bill is currently before the National Assembly for review. (NAN)
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that Nigeria’s internet usage reached a record 1.24 million terabytes in November 2025.
According to the latest data from the NCC, the figure rose modestly from 1.235 million terabytes in October, reflecting steady growth in digital activity across the country.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria crossed the halfway mark in November 2025, reaching 50.58 per cent, up from 45.61 per cent in January, the telecoms regulator reported.
The figure, however, falls short of the 70 per cent coverage target outlined in the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025, which expires this month.
The country had roughly 109 million broadband subscriptions by November. Growth has been uneven, hindered by infrastructure and regulatory constraints, including frequent fibre-optic vandalism that triggers 30 to 43 network cuts daily, high right-of-way fees, and declining subscriber numbers earlier in the year.
Expansion of mobile networks, particularly 3G and 4G services, alongside limited 5G rollouts in urban centres, affordable smartphones, and competitive data plans, has driven uptake.
Investments in the National Communications Backbone and private-sector initiatives have also improved access, especially in underserved areas.
While Nigeria is gradually improving digital inclusion, achieving the original broadband plan remains challenging due to high infrastructure costs, coverage limitations, and deployment hurdles.
The NCC maintains that continued investment in mobile networks and broadband infrastructure will sustain gradual growth in the sector.
Commenting on the development, some Nigerian analysts attributed the surge to the broader mobile and broadband adoption and the growing appetite for streaming, online learning and other digital services.
According to the analysts, the figures suggest that internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity for both business and leisure, underscoring the slow but steady expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has named the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among the top three Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government with the Best Ranking in Website Performance for 2025.
L-R: Head Special Projects, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Salamatu Andu; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Engr. Abaraham Oshadame; Director General Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Head Customer Support Service, Galaxy Backbone, Rosemary Ehize; Secretary to the ES. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Tahir Aminu at the BPSR award ceremony for top four MDAs in BPSR Website Performance and Ranking 2025 at the BPSR office on Tuesday, 23rd December, 2025.
This is coming barely three weeks after the telecom regulator was recognized as one of the top five best-performing Federal Government agencies for 2025 by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) – a testament to the Commission’s consistency in investment in technology for ensuring efficient service delivery.
In the BPSR 2024/2025 scorecard ranking of agencies’ websites, the NCC came second in the ranking, trailing behind Galaxy Backbone Limited, which came first while the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) clinched the third position, from a pool of 235 MDAs, whose website were evaluated.
BPSR deployed 14 evaluation criteria in include MDA’s website compliance with .gov.ng domain name, appearance and aesthetics (look and feel) of the website, content, relevance to MDAs mandate/government policy and the website’ structure.
Others include website’s responsiveness (device compatibility), security, load time, usability/ease of navigation, availability/uptime, functionality, interactivity, accessibility and capacity building.
The recognition was announced at the official release of Federal Government 2024/2025 Scorecard Ranking for MDAs’ Website held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja on Monday (December 22, 2025) while the award presentation took place at BPSR’s Office on Tuesday (December 23, 2025).
The award, which is an important index metric of the National e-Government Masterplan for determining the Nigeria e-Government Status, was received by the Commission in recognition of its commitment to maintaining a world-class website that enhances service delivery to the citizens.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, appreciated the BPSR for the recognition, describing the award as “another encouragement for the Commission to be a better public service institution leveraging digital platforms such as our web presence to enhance public service delivery to our various stakeholders, thereby implementing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy direction.”
While presenting the award to the NCC, alongside other two agencies, BPSR’s Director-General, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended the top three for their proactive decisions in maintaining world-class websites, which are compliant with the Federal Government’s policy direction in effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.
According to the DG, the 2024/2025 MDA’s websites’ ranking represents a collective effort of federal public institutions in Nigeria to be transparent, accountable and open in governance, as well as a confirmation to align with global best practices in service delivery to the citizens.
Developed about six years ago, Arabi said as a result of the annual ranking, more public institutions have indicated readiness to embrace reforms, and align with the policy direction of the current administration’s Renewed Hope agenda on improve governance for effective service delivery, as introduced by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The ideals of harnessing and deploying technological tools for service delivery has become imperative following the COVID pandemic, and distortions of socio-economic system of nations, culminating in the evolution of competitiveness, cost effectiveness, and agile governance.
“As engine room of governance, it behoves on us in the public service to perform our statutory duties and we must put in place technological innovations and standardized websites to operate services as well as deliver service needs to citizens,” he said.
The Scorecard exercise, he said, is part of the BPSR reform broader function of conducting research on reform implementation efforts and presenting ‘best practice’ models to the entire Public Service, and to among others, improve access to government information, facilitate seamless financial transaction, eliminate corruption and cyber theft, as well as facilitate access to government services.
Speaking on the rigorous nature of the exercise that produced the top three winners, the DG said “in the past few weeks members of the Scorecard Jury drawn from inter-Ministerial Agencies, had worked tirelessly to mill websites of selected MDAs through a rigorous process of enduring criteria for the ranking and the outcome had also passed through a quality assurance mechanism to validate the outcome.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has dismissed reports that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be frozen or automatically debited from January 1, 2026.
Taiwo Oyedele
Oyedele described the claims as false and misleading, warning Nigerians against panic over misinformation surrounding recent tax and financial reforms.
In a post on his X handle Tuesday morning, he wrote: “Don’t let anyone manipulate you. Your bank account is safe. Misinformation makes you panic and fear a reform that is designed to help you.
“When they tell you that your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise.”
He stressed that no provision in the new tax laws authorises the freezing of bank accounts, adding that the rumours are part of widespread misrepresentation of the reforms.
The committee chairman reiterated that the reforms are intended to simplify Nigeria’s tax system and ease the burden on ordinary citizens, not to impose punitive measures on bank customers.
How Moniepoint’s Founders, Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike are Redefining African Tech and Finance
Ecobank Guarantees Seamless Digital Banking Services Throughout the Christmas and Year-End Period
Banks quietly move to enforce new ₦50 transfer levy from Jan. 1
Nigeria’s Internet Usage Hits 1.24m Terabytes – NCC
World Bank Reveals Obstacles to Growth of Mobile Money Accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria Records Highest Weekly Cyberattacks in Africa — Report
Cyber Tsunami Hits Nigeria as Breaches Surge 1,047%, esentry Q3 Report Reveals
Minister Claims Bandits Exploit Poor Network, Bounce Calls Off Multiple Towers
GenAI Adoption Among African workers Outpace Global Peers
Financial Sector Faced AI, Blockchain and Organised Crime Threats in 2025 – Report
E-Financial1 day agoBanks quietly move to enforce new ₦50 transfer levy from Jan. 1
Telecom2 days agoNigeria’s Internet Usage Hits 1.24m Terabytes – NCC
General News1 day agoEcobank Guarantees Seamless Digital Banking Services Throughout the Christmas and Year-End Period
News12 hours agoHow Moniepoint’s Founders, Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike are Redefining African Tech and Finance